Digital Cheating or Just the "Age of Google?"

Cheating is considered dishonest. It counts as stealing and lying. There are some cases, however, where cheating on a test might be argued to be acceptable. Sometimes there are tests that are the result of politics, rather than practicality. Either way, you must be prepared to accept the consequences of cheating. It's a risk, and if you get caught, take full responsibility for your actions. With that being said, here are some ways that people cheat.


Why Cheat?


“When so much emphasis is placed on grades and individual achievement, the system seems to breed dishonesty. Students learn to succeed by all means possible, even if this means compromising their integrity to obtain high grades.”

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“Clearly with the intense competition and stress the students face, the temptation to cheat is strong and Eve admits that many of her friends engage in some cheating behavior.”


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“Instead, as Eve points out (and I observe), the advanced students cheat by programming equations into their calculators, cutting classes on the day of the exam to gain more studying time, and asking friends who took the exam earlier that day about specific material and questions.”

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“Of course, relying on last minute work sessions and charm can only go so far, and at times Kevin is forced to take more drastic actions to achieve his goals. He occasionally “compares answers” on quizzes and tests and often copies homework from his friends. In his chemistry class, he had a regular cheating system worked out with another student to help him do well on some of the tough exams. When the student was absent during the last chapter test of the year before the final, Kevin was forced to do it alone.”

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Ways to Cheat

Rubber Band Method
Band-Aid Method
Nail Polish Patterns
The Watch Hack
Gum Wrapper Notes
Hair Plucking Patterns



What Can Teachers Do?


Know Why Students Cheat:
- want the grade
- overwhelmed, anxiety, stress
- unintentional
- to sound more intelligent
- procrastination
- peer pressure
- cultural sense of plagiarism

Prevention Tips:
- incorporate lessons on plagiarism and cheating
- never assume that students know better
- use real world stories to demonstrate that cheating is not a victimless crime
- talk to family and community members
- educate yourself on new fads of cheating
- check YouTube and other websites

Works Cited

Common Sense Media. "Cheating Goes Hi-Tech." Commonsense.org. Common Sense Media, 21 July 2011. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. <http://www.commonsensemedia.org/advice-for-parents/cheating-goes-hi-tech

Common Sense Media. "Hi-Tech Cheating." Commonsense.org. Common Sense Media, 18 June 2009. Web. 18 Sept. 2011. <http://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/CSM_hitech_cheating.pdf

ETS. "Cheating Fact Sheet: Cheating Is A Personal Foul." Glass-castle.com. ETS, 1999. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. <http://www.glass-castle.com/clients/www-nocheating-org/adcouncil/research/cheatingfactsheet.html

Hartnett, By Michael. "Academic Cheating in the Age of Google - BusinessWeek." Businessweek.com. Bloomberg Business Week, 13 Jan. 2011. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. <http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/jan2011/bs2011015_632563.htm

"Learning Center : Plagiarism Definitions, Tips on Avoiding Plagiarism, Guidelines for Proper Citation, & Help Indentifying Plagairism." Plagiarism.org. Plagiarism.org. Web. 15 Sept. 2011. <http://www.plagiarism.org/plag_article_educational_tips_on_plagiarism_prevention.html

Pope, Denise Clark. "Doing School": How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed Out, Materialistic, and Miseducated Students. New Haven, CT: Yale UP, 2001. Print.

SchoolBook. "Six Views on Cheating and How to Prevent It." Nytimes.com. The New York Times, 12 Sept. 2011. Web. 15 Sept. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/schoolbook/2011/09/12/six-views-on-cheating-and-how-to-prevent-it/

WikiHow. "Cheat On a Test." Wikihow.com. Wiki How. Web. 15 Sept. 2011. <http://www.wikihow.com/Cheat-On-a-Test

http://www.youtube.com/user/HouseholdHacker


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